Barton blasts Neymar as all show.. ‘He’s the Kim Kardashian of football’
ANDY ROBERTSON hasn’t felt this invincible since he was playing football at Primary School.
If winning breeds confidence then the Liverpool full-back is feeling 10-feet tall and reckons the whirlwind start the season is just child’s play.
Robertson struggles to recall a time when everything seemed so simple on a football pitch but eventually he comes up with the answer.
“Maybe Under-fives,” he laughs, clearly revelling in an unbeaten opening run of games that has already claimed highprofile victims domestically and in Europe in Tottenham and French Champions Paris Saintgermain – even with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Victories
“It’s not just me, all the lads have that confidence but it is about showing that confidence in the right way.
“Victories gives confidence for everyone round the club and we must just keep that going.”
Despite Jurgen Klopp’s stars making a powerful early season statement the Scottish defender doesn’t have any truck with talk that Liverpool are on course for a historic first league title in 29 years or another trip to the Champions League Final in Madrid in May.
And he insists at least inside the Anfield dressing room Klopp and his squad are staying grounded and keeping the lid on expectations. “I think we are,” he said. “There may be noise outside the club and I know the fans are optimistic but they are realistic as well.
“All the players and staff are keeping their feet on the ground. You don’t win anything in August or September.
“You win it in May or April and we have done nothing now except win a couple of games which is irrelevant if we don’t continue it so we have to keep going.
“We have some momentum behind us but we can’t afford to let that drop.”
Robertson points to the Champions League win over JOEY BARTON has branded Brazil superstar Neymar “the Kim Kardashian of football”. The Fleetwood Town boss (left) has laid into the hype around the attacker and says he doesn’t deserve to be considered alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Paris Saint-germain paid a world record fee of £200million to sign Neymar PSG as perfectly showcasing the mentality currently coursing through Klopp’s players and the beligerent refusal to accept a draw or defeat.
“Yes I feel that way at the moment,” he says. “PSG had world- class players but we knew we could cause them problems and we did.
“Whatever competition we are in we try to win it. We have got to compete the best we can, whether that is the Champions League, Premier League, League Cup or FA Cup. They are all competitions we believe we can do our best in.
“I agree with the manager that whatever competition it is we from Barcelona last year, but his displays at the World Cup and against Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek left many unimpressed.
Barton had previously called Neymar a “show pony”, but now he says: “I think he is the Kim should try to do our best and see where we are at the end of the season.”
And far from bringing extra pressure Robertson is adamant winning is the only way to go.
He said: “I don’t think it adds to the pressure, not at all. You go out to win every game. Winning breeds confidence throughout the place and hopefully we can continue that.
Starter
“We believe we can win every game because we can cause teams problems, but it is when we are not 100 per cent we struggle. We are not doing that just now and hopefully it stays that way.”
A year ago after his £8million move from Hull, Robertson was struggling to establish himself as an automatic starter but now he’s one of the first on Klopp’s team-sheet.
“When I came in I knew it was going to be tough with the squad we’ve got but I had time to adapt and take everything on board,” he said.
“I knew when I got my chance I had to take it and luckily I’ve done that. The aim was to prove I can play at this level.
“Hopefully I’ve done that now but I just want to improve every day – and I feel as if I am getting better and better.” Kardashian of football. Neymar is not the best player in the world, we saw that in Russia.
“He is not at the level of Ronaldo and Messi, and there are many other players in front of him. Neymar, more than a football phenomenon, is an advertising phenomenon, like the Kardashians.”
Former Manchester City, Newcastle, QPR and Burnley midfielder Barton spent a season playing for PSG’S great rivals, Marseille, during his controversial career. And he has revealed that he would love to return to the Stade Velodrome as manager one day.
“I would love to coach Marseille one day. Honestly, I could train Marseille without any problem,” Barton said.
“I know the club from top to bottom. I understand the people, the culture, I know the Velodrome and I know what the club means to people.
“Many Marseille coaches did not know the club. If my career brings me back there, fantastic.”